Identity issues intensify as polls fever grips South Asia

As polls fever sweeps Sri Lanka, the prime question apparently for the discredited political class of the country in particular is who or which party or alliance would come to power at the presidential and parliamentary polls respectively, which are expected to be held sometime this year. It could be said in general that for the political actors and forces of Southern Sri Lanka, it is self- interest and power aggrandizement that primarily matter.

The motivating force for the current flurry of political activity in the South derives mainly from these factors. However, what the South would need to worry about more are the recent, to a great extent, historic developments in Tamil politics. To be specific, political forces and personalities of the South would be acting with greater foresight, if they weigh the pros and cons of the election of Jaffna district parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan, reputed to be a Tamil nationalist, to the position of head of the Illankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) or Federal Party, with a significant margin over his closest rival.

This columnist has no problems, so to speak, with Tamil nationalism or Tamil nationalists but he wonders whether the ‘message’ sent from North-East Sri Lanka to the rest of the country through the election of Shritharan is being read with the necessary clarity and insight by it.

The above election does not exactly presage a major rejuvenation of the separatist sentiment in the North-East but needs to be seen as symptomatic of the continuing sense of alienation significant sections of the North-East population are experiencing in relation in particular to the political centre of the country. Put simply, the most vital needs of the North-East people are going unaddressed.

More specifically, the North-East public has no reason to be happy with their present lot, although it is quite some time since the anti-LTTE war came to an end. But what could be expected from central governments that are baulking at even implementing in full the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution?

Instead, it has been a question of governments making promises to the North-East people and reneging on them. Thus, central governments are wittingly or unwittingly providing reasons for sections of the Tamil polity to be disenchanted with them. From here, it is a short step to frustration and revolt and the history of the Tamil problem bears this out. It up to the centre to ensure that Sri Lanka does not return to that destructive cycle.

Thus, the election of Shritharan should be seen by the government in particular as a ‘wake-up’ call. It would need to act now to take development, in the truest sense, to the North-East or allow identity politics in the region to grow to unmanageable proportions. Sri Lanka’s Longsuffering of 30 years should have driven home to it that it is the lack of re-distributive justice that leads to the surfacing of identity politics and separatism.

Hopefully, those sections that are currently engaged in power jousts in the South would stop awhile and think on these things. The North-East continues to be a vulnerable flank, as it were, and could no longer be ignored.

The development aspirations and schemes of the South would come to nought if the North-East is not fully integrated into the rest of the Sri Lankan polity. In the absence of equitable growth there is no future for Sri Lanka. Looked at from this viewpoint, the present power struggles of the South are nothing but a wasteful distraction.

As is known, Pakistan would be going to the polls very soon, to be followed by India in a few months’ time. As in the case of Sri Lanka, they too would need to guard against the emergence of identity politics in their more destructive forms.

Identity politics are a handy tool in the hands of visionless but ambitious politicians who cannot see farther than short term political gain. Unfortunately, South Asia has more than its fair share of politicians of this bent. What these politicians are wittingly or unwittingly carving out are states with a huge capacity to implode.

It is with limitless avarice that such politicians exploit ethnic, religious, language and cultural barriers in their midst to further their power aspirations. India is the most advanced country in South Asia from the viewpoint of democratic development but in India too there is a tendency among the powerful to exploit religious divisions.

It is with deep regret that admirers of India view ongoing efforts by some opportunistic elements within the country to stir-up once again Hindu-Muslim animosities by resurrecting disputes relating to sacred sites. Fortunately, India’s highest courts have the reputation of resolving such questions even-handedly.

Likewise, Pakistan needs to guard against the unbridled power ambitions of politicians who seek to exploit religious tensions. Pakistan is currently managing to remain within the democratic fold, but its credentials in this regard may change if internal religious tensions are allowed to reach boiling point and the Generals are compelled to make a comeback.

In the cases of all the above countries, it is national integration based on equitable growth or inclusive development that will prove crucial in keeping them together as democratic countries.

Unfortunately for South Asia, the current international political situation could have the impact of further polarizing their polities along ethnic, religious and cultural cleavages. The present tensions in the Middle East, for instance, show signs of developing into an Islam versus West armed confrontation.

On the one side is Israel firmly backed by the US and the rest of the West and on the other, Hamas and its allies of a strong Islamic bent, supported staunchly by Iran. Of late, some US military bases have been coming under drone attacks in the Middle East, suspected to have been orchestrated by Iran, and the US would need to exercise maximum restraint to prevent the conflict from escalating into a regional war. The latter, if not managed effectively, could degenerate into an international conflict.

It would be obligatory on the part of the foremost democratic political actors of the South to prevent the current, escalating tensions in the Middle East from adversely impacting their states. If they commit to a Non-aligned foreign policy and restrain themselves from siding with the principal antagonists in the Middle East, they could keep their countries together and prevent them from falling apart along religious and ethnic lines. Hopefully, enlightened, democratic thinking would come to their rescue.